ESX 3.5 hangs on install - Uncompressing Linux... Ok, Booting the Kernel.

[sfitgeek]

Hey guys,

I have a new Dell Precision 690 that I'm trying to load ESX 3.5 on, but it never gets past loading the kernel. When I try to install, it brings up the install GUI, but selecting either of the install methods (GUI/command) it gets exactly this far:

Uncompressing Linux... Ok, Booting the Kernel.

_

That's it, it just hangs there with the command prompt blinking and the disk spins up and then down. The machine has 6 GB of Kingston FB ECC memory, 2 x Intel Xeon X5355 Quad-Core CPU's, and 1 x Seagate (ST3300655SS) 300 GB 15,000 RPM SAS drive. I have tried every BIOS revision A01-A07 and none change anything and it's using an LSI Logic SAS1068-IR / Firmware Rev. 0.06.05.00 onboard controller. I've tried disabling all peripherals, including USB and onboard NIC, but no love. I tried 3 different CD-Rom drives and even made a bootable USB flash drive with ESX 3.5, they all hang at the kernel. And I can't even get into debug (Alt+F12) because it hangs before I can enter it.

This really has me stumped, I can load MS Server 2003, Vista and even Fedora 8 no problem, and I burned several different copies of ESX but same thing, I know the disk is ok because it will install on every other PC I try it on.

I have only been able to find one other post with this issue, but there was never a resolution posted - http://communities.vmware.com/thread/89940

Is there anything else I can try? Has anyone else had a similar problem?

Thanks -

[sfitgeek]

Ya I don't think it's a drive compatibility issue either. I have been using our companies Dell Gold Support to trouble shoot the issue and they assigned me a Linux specialist, here's what he's said so far:

I tried the version of ESX I have here on a 690 on the SAS controller as both separate disks and as a raid 0 and the installer passed the ‘uncompressing linux' both times with no issues. I also have 2 gb ram, an nvidia card, 2 sata drives on the sas controller, but only have 2 dual core's not quads. That looks like the only real difference with the system I have here and yours. You might want to try installing in text mode if you haven't tried that already (type: esx text at the boot prompt). You could still try moving the drives off the sas controller and putting them on the sata controller just to make sure that isnt a problem. There is no performance hit on the drives using the sata over sas. Also try switching the operations as I mentioned from AHCI to ATA and see if that helps.

Usually Dell ships the sata drives on the SAS controller, if you really wanted to you could try moving those drives to the SATA ports (labeled SATA 0 and 1 on the motherboard), turning off the SAS controller in the bios and changing the sata operation to ATA and trying it that that way. Of course whatever OS your have on your drives will not work if you pull them off of the SAS controller.

I will get a 690 today and see if I get the same results on the SAS and then see if they work on the SATA ports and let you know how it goes. Another customer is having the same type of install issues but on a 390 and he asked VM and this is what he told me...

VMWare said that ESX is not supported on Precisions, only certain Power Edges

They said I could install VMWare Server on Windows

and then create a VM and install ESX on that VW and it might work

I've been crazy busy lately with work and school, but will fool around with the disk setup again this weekend and the settings Ian suggested above.

Thanks Michael, appreciate all your help man, so do you have a 690 that won't run ESX as well?

Ralph

[Michael_Fowler]

Sorry for the delayed response, I've been out flat on my back with pneumonia for the past two weeks.

To your question, yes, I've actually got 2 x 690 systems (dual quads, 32GB memory, SAS & SATA drives) that we REALLY want to use for VMware development under ESX.

More later, after I catch up.

[sfitgeek]

Wow Michael, sorry to hear you were sick, I've been hearing about how the flu is really bad this year, hope you're feeling better now.

I gave up on ESX and just installed Server 2008 Enterprise with Hyper-V virtualization built in, I probably shouldn't mention it on this board, I wanted to use VMware but it just wouldn't work on my system.

Server 2008 is very nice though, installed with all drivers and no updates were needed, the Hyper-V role is cool too, looks just like VMware server, but it only supports Windows machines at this point, not Linux etc.

Good luck my friend, two months of trying every conceivable configuration wouldn't work, even the Dell Linux expert said other 690 customers were having the same "hang" issue and there was no explanation.

Thanks for all your help Michael and take care.

[tys]

The issue is on ESX 3.0.1, but looks at least 3.0.1 could install on BIOS A03?

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=pw_cdrom&thread.id=1749

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- Put my hard drive in an older 690 owned by a coworker (with different 2-way procs and older A03 BIOS), where I was able to successfully install ESX. Moved the hard drive back to my machine, and the main ESX kernel boot still hangs at the same spot.

---

[sfitgeek]

Ha-ha! Yeah I've seen that post as well, too bad it won't work for you, that was a good idea. I tried every weekend for 2 months and finally gave up, I realize now that if the hardware isn't on the hcl, it probably won't work, didn't realize it was that particular because I was able to install it on a couple laptops, a desktop etc.

Oh well...

[tys]

My Precision 690(Dual Quad Core Xeon) has quite same problem. May be this is Quad core issue. At least two machines (in the Post in Dell forum, and your Dell Support's) which are Dual core successfully passed the installation. I have no Dual core Xeon, so I can't test it...

[tys]

I figured out the problem.

Now 3i is up and running on my Precision 690.

I tried the installation from an external USB CD/DVD and confirmed it complete the all process. Also I changed CD/DVD drive connection from SATA socket to HDD socket on the motherboard then tried with Internal CD/DVD installation also worked. Looks as long as CD/DVD is connected on one of the SATA connector, installation doesn't work.

However I still can't get CD/DVD worked on ESX. ESX says "No Devices available" on the Host Device.

There are no actual impact for the ESX operation because ISO image mount works fine of course.

tys

[Michael_Fowler]

This is very interesting, Taisuke. I'll check this out on a couple of my dual-quad core 690s when I get back in town this weekend. We'd all spent so much time trying to identify which component was causing the incompatibility, but it would seem we may have overlooked something really basic. I'll repost once I've verified your solution with my systems as well.

Thanks!

-mf

[sfitgeek]

Huh, that's interesting tys, I also have a SATA CD/DVD drive connected to the the second SATA connector, and two drives connected to the HDD connectors, so maybe that's it? But I know at different times I tried IDE, SATA and external DVD drives with no luck.

But I'll give it another shot when I get home and will let you know if that's the issue with me as well.

Hey thanks for jumping in and lending a hand tys -

[sfitgeek]

Wow, I guess I should have tried ESX 3i sooner because it installed perfectly. My hats off to you Taisuke, you figured out what we couldn't for like two months. I can't begin to tell you how happy I am that you got my 690 up and running, I was playing around with Hyper-V, but it's terrible and wasn't usable, only allowed for 1 cpu and 1 nic, and vm's kept freezing up.

I don''t know what else to say but thank you again, I owe you one.

[sfitgeek]

I wanted to add that I also was not able to get my SATA CD/DVD ROM recognized, it would install from it if I plugged it into one of the HDD connectors, but after the install ESX wouldn't recognize it, so I swapped it out for an IDE CD/DVD ROM and it works fine, can install with it and vm's see it as well.

Anyway, hope all this helps someone -

[vm_Lloyd]

Two processors of a particular type can be the issue also.... see my post http://communities.vmware.com/message/1140417

Thanks,